Editing Scottish Opera

{{Short description|National opera company of Scotland}}
{{distinguish|Opera in Scotland}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
[[File:Scottish-Opera_logo.png|thumb|300px]]
'''Scottish Opera''' is the national [[opera]] company of Scotland, and one of the five [[national performing arts companies of Scotland]]. Founded in 1962 and based in [[Glasgow]], it is the largest [[performing arts]] organisation in Scotland.

==History==
Scottish Opera was founded by conductor [[Alexander Gibson (conductor)|Alexander Gibson]] in 1962. In 1975 it purchased the [[Theatre Royal, Glasgow|Theatre Royal]] in Glasgow from [[Scottish Television]] re-opening it as the first national opera house for Scotland in October 1975 with ''[[Die Fledermaus]]''. In March 2005, the management of the Theatre Royal was transferred to the [[Ambassador Theatre Group]], but remains the home of Scottish Opera and of Scottish Ballet.<ref>Smith</ref>

Scottish Opera dealt with various financial troubles, related to lack of funding and accusations of fiscal profligacy,{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}} during the first part of the 2000s. Its cycle of Richard Wagner's ''Ring'' was critically acclaimed,{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}} but also was highly draining of the company's financial resources. In 2004, a financial restructuring plan had called for the elimination of 88 jobs, including all 34 members of the chorus, and the suspension of the entire 2005–06 season.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,1234352,00.html | title=Culture and the class war | newspaper=The Guardian | author=Tom Service | author-link=Tom Service | date=9 June 2004 | access-date=2007-08-10}}</ref> In protest, [[Richard Armstrong (conductor)|Sir Richard Armstrong]] announced his resignation in December 2004, effective at the end of the 2004–05 season.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1364336,00.html | title=Scottish Opera's music director resigns amid acrimony | newspaper=The Guardian | author=Charlotte Higgins | date=2 December 2004 | access-date=2007-08-10}}</ref>

Alex Reedijk became general director of the company in 2006.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.scotsman.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/back-black-and-ready-connect-public-2461895 | title=Back in the black and ready to connect with the public | work=The Scotsman | author=Kenneth Walton | date=5 June 2006 | access-date=2009-01-03}}</ref> In August 2007, effective the same month, the company announced the appointment of Francesco Corti as its next music director.<ref>{{cite magazine | url=http://www.playbillarts.com/news/article/6901.html | title=Scottish Opera, on the Mend, Appoints New Music Director | magazine=Playbill Arts | author=Matthew Westphal | date=8 August 2007 | access-date=2007-08-10}}</ref>

Recent commissions include the Five:15 Operas Made in Scotland, part of a five-year research and development project to find the next generation of opera-makers, composers and librettists.{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}}

==Awards==
The company has won awards, including the Barclays [[TMA Award]] for Outstanding Achievement in Opera for ''[[Macbeth (Verdi)|Macbeth]]'' and ''[[Der Rosenkavalier]]'' (both in 1994) and for ''[[Die Walküre]]'' and ''[[Siegfried (opera)|Siegfried]]'' (both in 2002), as well as the [[South Bank Show]] Award for "Best Opera" for the ''[[Ring Cycle]]'' (2004) and a Herald Angel Award for ''[[The Two Widows]]'' at the [[Edinburgh International Festival]] in 2008.{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}}

==Foreign tours==
Scottish Opera has also staged many successful productions abroad, including ''[[Albert Herring]]'' in Florence,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.operascotland.org/operator/1/Scottish-Opera|title=Scottish Opera – Opera Scotland|first=Site Buddha Web|last=Design|website=www.operascotland.org|access-date=28 July 2018}}</ref> ''[[Egisto (opera)]]'' in Venice,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.operascotland.org/tour/1359/Egisto-1982|title=Egisto 1982 – Tour – Opera Scotland|first=Site Buddha Web|last=Design|website=www.operascotland.org|access-date=28 July 2018}}</ref> tours in Germany, Austria, Portugal, France, Switzerland, Yugoslavia and Iceland and recent years including ''[[Peter Grimes]]'' and ''[[Tristan und Isolde]]'' in Lisbon; ''Macbeth'' at the Vienna International Festival and the European premiere of [[James MacMillan (musician)|MacMillan]]'s ''Ines de Castro'' in Porto, Portugal.{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}}

==Music directors==
* [[Alexander Gibson (conductor)|Sir Alexander Gibson]] (1962–86)
* [[John Mauceri]] (1986–92)
* [[Richard Armstrong (conductor)|Sir Richard Armstrong]] (1992–2005)
* Francesco Corti (2007 – July 2013)
* Emmanuel Joel-Hornack (July 2013 – September 2013)
* Stuart Stratford (June 2015–Present)

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
* [[Magnus Magnusson|Magnusson, Magnus]] (1963), ''The Opera Makers'', in ''New Saltire'' No. 8, June 1963, New Saltire Ltd., Edinburgh, pp. 5 - 18
* {{cite book|last= Oliver |first= Cordelia |year= 1987|title= It's a Curious Story – The Tale of Scottish Opera 1962–1987 |location= Edinburgh |publisher= Mainstream |isbn= 1-85158-066-2}}
* {{cite book|last= Smith |first= Graeme |year= 2008|title= The Theatre Royal: Entertaining a Nation |location=Glasgow |publisher= Glasgow Publications |isbn= 978-0-9559420-0-6}}

==External links==
* [http://www.scottishopera.org.uk/ Scottish Opera]
* [http://www.glasgowtheatreroyal.org.uk/  Glasgow Theatre Royal Heritage project website]

{{National performing arts companies of Scotland}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1962 establishments in Scotland]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1962]]
[[Category:National performing arts companies of Scotland|Opera]]
[[Category:British opera companies]]
[[Category:Music in Glasgow]]
[[Category:Theatre companies in Scotland]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Glasgow]]
[[Category:Scottish opera companies]]
[[Category:Scottish Chamber Orchestra]]